The 2011–12 season was the 108th season in Real Madrid Club de Fútbol's history and their 81st consecutive season in La Liga, the top division of Spanish football. It covered a period from 1 July 2011 to 30 June 2012.
Real Madrid began the season finishing runners-up in the Supercopa de España to Barcelona, losing 5–4 on aggregate. The team then went on to produce a magnificent season, winning a record 32nd La Liga title and setting a number of league records, including 100 points amassed in a single season, a total of 121 goals scored, a goal difference of +89, 16 away games won, and 32 wins overall. They also competed in the UEFA Champions League for the 15th successive season, losing in the semi-finals to Bayern Munich on penalties (after a 3–3 aggregate tie) in heartbreaking fashion. Madrid entered the Copa del Rey as the defending champions, but lost 3–4 on aggregate in the quarter-finals to Barcelona. In the same season, Cristiano Ronaldo became the fastest player to reach 100 goals scored in Spanish league history. In reaching 101 goals in 92 games, Ronaldo surpassed Real Madrid legend Ferenc Puskás, who scored 100 goals in 105 matches. Ronaldo set a new club mark for individual goals scored in one year (60) and became the first player ever to score against all 19 opposition teams in a single season.
The season has been often termed by some newspapers as "La Liga de los Récords" (Spanish for "The League of the Records") as Real Madrid broke several long-standing La Liga records, the most prominent being the highest number of points in a single La Liga season. Their total of 100 was one point better than the previous record set by Barcelona in the 2009–10 season. Real Madrid also recorded the most goals in a league season with 121, surpassing the previous record held by the Real Madrid side that scored 107 goals during the 1989–90 season.
Season overview Pre-season Real Madrid commenced their summer transfer activity on 9 May, signing Turkish central midfielder Nuri Şahin for six seasons from Borussia Dortmund on a transfer reported to be worth €10 million. Versatile Turkish midfielder Hamit Altıntop was signed for four seasons on a free transfer from Bayern Munich on 19 May, but was discovered to have a prolapsed disc on 23 June, undergoing a successful operation four days later. The club announced on 21 May that veteran Polish goalkeeper Jerzy Dudek's contract would not be renewed; he subsequently retired. Former Castilla winger José Callejón was brought back after three seasons at Espanyol for a reported fee of €5 million on 23 May.
Real Madrid fired Director General Jorge Valdano on 25 May after a strained relationship over sporting decisions between him and manager José Mourinho. President Florentino Pérez supported Mourinho's request to "be able to manage the team with autonomy" in response to tensions during the previous season's winter transfer window and a public feud regarding Karim Benzema following a 1–1 draw against Almería. Valdano was reported to be paid €3.5 million to release him from the remaining two years on his contract and was replaced by José Ángel Sánchez. Mourinho subsequently became head of football operations in addition to his role as head coach with former player and special adviser to Pérez Zinedine Zidane as the new director of football for the first team.
Real Madrid continued their transfer activity on 27 June, signing teenage French central defender Raphaël Varane from Lens for six seasons on a reported €10 million transfer. On 1 July, Royston Drenthe and David Mateos returned from their loan spells at Hércules and AEK Athens, respectively, while Emmanuel Adebayor returned to Manchester City following a six-month loan. Mateos was loaned out ten days later to Real Zaragoza with Zaragoza having an option to purchase the player permanently at the end of the season, and Drenthe was loaned to Everton late on the final day of the transfer window. Portuguese wingback Fábio Coentrão transferred from Benfica for €30 million on 5 July and signed a six-year contract.
Real Madrid traveled to the UCLA campus in Los Angeles, California, on 11 July to prepare for friendlies against the LA Galaxy, Guadalajara and Philadelphia Union in the World Football Challenge. Castilla players Jesús Fernández, Tomás Mejías, Jorge Casado, Nacho, Jesé and Joselu accompanied the first team to the United States. On 12 July, the contracts of Pepe and Sergio Ramos were extended to 2016 and 2017, respectively, and Nuri Şahin suffered a Grade I sprain on the internal lateral ligament in his left knee during the first day of training, causing him to miss the entire pre-season. On 17 July, defender Ezequiel Garay transferred to Benfica for an undisclosed fee. Real Madrid's pre-season began with a 4–1 victory over Major League Soccer (MLS) team LA Galaxy, with goals from Callejón, Joselu, Cristiano Ronaldo and Benzema. Four days later in San Diego against Mexican Primera División side Guadalajara, Ronaldo scored a second half hat-trick over a nine-minute span for a 3–0 victory. Real Madrid completed the World Football Challenge atop the table following a 2–1 win over Philadelphia Union, with early goals from Callejón and Mesut Özil. They officially won the tournament via goal differential when Manchester United defeated Barcelona 2–1 on 30 July. Ronaldo finished as the tournament's top scorer with four goals.
Real Madrid started the European leg of their pre-season world tour with a triumph over newly promoted Bundesliga team Hertha BSC on 27 July in front of a sold out Olympiastadion. Patrick Ebert opened the scoring for Hertha, but Ronaldo equalized from a long-range free kick and Benzema added two goals for a 3–1 victory. Three days later Real Madrid defeated Championship side Leicester City 2–1 to win the npower Challenge Cup. Callejón scored the opening goal and Benzema converted a rebound following a shot off the goalpost by Marcelo before Lloyd Dyer added a late consolation goal.
José Mourinho's five-game touchline ban in the UEFA Champions League due to accusatory statements following the first leg of the previous season's Champions League semi-final was partially upheld following an appeal to UEFA on 29 July. He was originally suspended for five matches, with the final game suspended for a probational period of three years, and fined €50,000 for accusing Barcelona of receiving favorable treatment from UEFA and for severely criticizing German referee Wolfgang Stark. After serving the first game of his suspension in the second leg, Mourinho had the remaining four matches of his ban reduced to a two-game suspension with a potential two further games over a three-year probationary period. The original fine to Mourinho was upheld along with a €20,000 fine assessed to Real Madrid for crowd trouble.
The club traveled to Guangzhou, China, directly from Leicester on 1 August, and signed a letter of intent the following day with Guangzhou Evergrande involving club cooperation, potential player exchanges, and the opening of the largest football academy in China. On 3 August, Real Madrid defeated Chinese Super League leaders Guangzhou Evergrande 7–1, with goals from Sami Khedira, Özil, Benzema twice, Ronaldo, Jesé, and Ángel Di María. The following day, attacking midfielder Sergio Canales joined Valencia on loan for two seasons with Valencia retaining a purchase option of €12 million at the end of each season. Real Madrid concluded their pre-season world tour with all victories on 6 August, defeating Tianjin Teda 6–0 with goals from Kaká, Di María, Gonzalo Higuaín, Ronaldo and a double by Benzema.
August Real Madrid opened their competitive season with a 2–2 draw at home in the first leg of the 2011 Supercopa de España against Barcelona on 14 August. Özil scored after 13 minutes following an assist from Benzema, but goals from David Villa and Lionel Messi against the run of play gave Barcelona the lead at halftime. Xabi Alonso shot through traffic during a corner sequence for the equalizer nine minutes into the second half. Three days later in the return leg at Camp Nou, Barcelona defeated Real Madrid 3–2 to win 5–4 on aggregate. Andrés Iniesta beat the offside trap and scored first for Barcelona, but Ronaldo redirected a cross to equalize five minutes later. Messi scored just before halftime following a failed clearance of a corner kick by Real Madrid and a subsequent backheel assist from Gerard Piqué to give Barcelona a 2–1 lead at halftime. Benzema leveled the score late in the second half following a scramble from a corner kick, but an Adriano cross allowed Messi to score the winning goal in the 88th minute. Marcelo received a straight red card in stoppage time for a tackle on Cesc Fàbregas, creating an ensuing scuffle between the two sides that led to Mourinho confronting Barcelona assistant coach Tito Vilanova with a poke in the eye and expulsions of Villa and Özil. Six days later, the Royal Spanish Football Federation opened disciplinary investigations against both Mourinho and Vilanova that could have potentially resulted in a 12-game suspension for Mourinho but instead suspended him for two future Supercopa de España matches and fined €600. Real Madrid was additionally fined €180.
Real Madrid's La Liga campaign was scheduled to begin on 21 August at home against Athletic Bilbao, but the Spanish Footballers' Association, with representation from all 42 teams in the top two divisions, unanimously elected to strike after failing to reach a collective bargaining agreement with the Liga de Fútbol Profesional, causing the postponement of the first weekend of fixtures. The team won their seventh consecutive Santiago Bernabéu Trophy, defeating Turkish Süper Lig side Galatasaray on 24 August. Before the match, Real Madrid officially presented their five new summer signings and honored their three youth team players on the Spanish under-19 squad that won the 2011 UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship. Selçuk İnan scored early for Galatasaray from close range, but a pair of assists from man of the match Xabi Alonso to Sergio Ramos and Benzema led Real Madrid to a 2–1 victory in the annual friendly. Real Madrid's La Liga season began with a 0–6 win at Real Zaragoza on 28 August, with goals from Marcelo, Alonso, Kaká and a hat-trick by Ronaldo, including his 100th goal as a Real Madrid player. The win was the most lopsided away victory on opening day in Spanish top flight history.
On 31 August, the final day of the summer transfer window, Real Madrid loaned out midfielders Pedro León, Fernando Gago and Royston Drenthe. Pedro León joined Getafe, the team he was purchased from a year ago, and Gago joined Roma, with both Getafe and Roma retaining the option to acquire their respective player for €6 million at the end of the season. Drenthe joined Everton for a season-long loan in a deal that was finalized late on deadline day.
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